What is the benefit of losing your children
by joanamaria33
Summary: After his wife left him, Kyoya Ootori has to take care of his daughters all by himself. Unfortunately, due to his very busy schedule and his not very pleasant personality, the said daughters dislike him strongly and he wants to find a way to win their hearts.
1. Chapter 1

chapter 1:Prologue

I apologize if there are any mistakes I have forgotten.

It has been a few months since all of the members of the Ouran host club have graduated from high school. The years they spent together were a great time. They all had fun and all learned a lot about themselves, but alas, after graduation they all went on their own paths. Kyoya was no exception.

In order to widen his company, Yoshio Ootori made the decision to marry his youngest son to the only daughter of one of his business partners. In that way, the Ootori family would have the chance to run the **Shen** company after the owner's daughter Ren receives it as her inheritance. It would give the Ootoris great financial benefits.

That was the only reason why Kyoya agreed to marry Ren, because otherwise, he would never even look at her. Not that she was not attractive, quite the opposite. Ren Shen was tall, slender, curvy, she had short red hair with a rose in it, big yellow eyes, rosy lips and she wore a long purple dress. In other words, she was beautiful, but the moment he saw her, he had suspicions about her. It was like he knew that her appearance could not indicate her true nature.

Despite his own suspicions, he decided to just deal with them, since it was his last attempt to finally please his father, but how long would this last.

After their wedding, Kyoya and Ren bought a beautiful white house where they would spend the rest of their lives together. Although, no matter how lovely this sounded to the people who had no idea what was happening behind the scenes, the truth is that the newlyweds' marriage was far from perfect.

Every day, they spent all of their time working and talking about nothing but money. While talking, they were always avoiding eye contact. When one of them was upset or just stresses, the other did not seem to care much. They never made love, except for one time. Ren thought that maybe it would be good for their company's future if they had an heir. A child who would inherit the family business, after their deaths. Kyoya could not argue with this and that is why he agreed. Later that night, the two were alone in their bedroom and they made an attempt to produce an heir. Luckily, their attempt was actually successful, since Ren got pregnant a few days later. She went to Kyoya to tell him the news:

-"Hey, Kyoya!"-she spoke quietly and casually with no expression on her face.

-"What is it, Ren?"-he responded in the same way.

-"Remember the only time when we copulated?"

-"Of course, I remember. How can anyone forget touching you?!"-he said sarcastically, but his wife did not react much to his comment.-"Are there any results?"

-"Yesterday, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. Later I went to a doctor who confirmed it."-her words made Kyoya stop writing and he slowly turned his eyes in her direction, in kind of a confused manner and waited for what she had to say.-"I am pregnant."-she finished casully. Like it was nothing special for her.

Kyoya completely interrupted his work, he stand up and asked:

-"Really?"-it looked like he could not believe it.

-"Yes."-she gave a verbal response and then showed him the pregnancy test she took, in order to confirm it.

Kyoya did not say a word and he did not continue to work, instead he just went out of the room. He stayed in the hall, put his back against the wall and smiled.

9 months later, Ren gave a birth to twin girls. The girls had big black eyes and black hairs. They were pretty much identical in appearance with the only difference between them being the color of their hair bangs- one of them had red bangs and the other had grey bangs. The couple named their daughters Simran (the one with the grey bangs) and Nandini (the one with the red bangs).

Kyoya and Ren treated their children in a rather similar manner, but with big differences between their respective tactics. They were both too busy and they did not spend much time with their babies. The maid was the one who took care of the infants the most. Despite this, it was Kyoya who actually paid any attention to his children, while Ren was never there for them. Sometimes, he entered his daughters' room very late at night, while everyone was asleep, just so that he can spend a little time with them, even if what he was doing was pretty insignificant. When he was with them, all he was doing was simply looking at them and smiling. At rare occasions, even talking to them.

This "family life" lasted for 3 years, until Ren started to lose patience. Simran and Nandini Ootori were a bit older now and they are finally capable of walking and talking on their own. They treated their father like a hero and loved being around him, and he did not seem to mind. They never showed such affection towards their mother and neither did Kyoya. Because of this, Ren was starting to feel more furious with every single day. She made a few attempts to attract her daughters' attention, but always with either bad or no results at all. From time to time, she even tried to stimulate her husband to make love again, but he always refused.

One day, she decided that she finally had enough, so she just left and she never returned. Nobody knew where she went. She left her spouse to run the company all by himself, but what was even worse is that she left him to look after their children all on his own. Not that he minded. He has always expected for this to happen, he just never knew when.

You think that things would finally get better now when Ren is gone, but the truth is that they were not.

8 more years later. The twins are now two 11-year old girls who have too much time on their hands. Time that they wanted to spend with their father, but he rarely had any time for them. Because of this, they stopped talking to him.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

chapter 2: Another dissapointment

Friday. 3 PM. Simran and Nandini were just coming back from school. They were both feeling bored and were thinking about what they should do. Right at this moment, Kyoya entered the room, holding a phone close to his ear, talking to an employee, while barely noticing that his daughters have just arrived. The twins looked at each other. Simran pointed her finger to Kyoya, like she was saying "Should we try?", but Nandini gave a her a look that was saying "Seriously?". Despite her skepticism, the girl agreed to try. They asked their father if he could spend some time with them:

-"Father?"-Simran was the one who spoke, while Nandini did not even bother.

Her words actually had an effect on Kyoya, since he interrupted his phone conversation temporarily and paid attention to what his daughters were about to say:

-"What is it, girls?"-he asked politely.

-"We were wondering if you could accompany us to the garden?"

-"Sorry, girls! But I have a very important meeting today. I do not have much free time now."-despite that Kyoya was completely sincere while saying that, the girls frowned, because that was not the first time when he rejected an offer of theirs.

They gave a small insignificant "Okay." and left the room without saying anything else. They went to the garden, still angry about what just happened. They sat on the grass and Nandini started to gloat:

-"See! What did I tell you? This thing happens every single time."

-"I thought that maybe we could succeed one day."

-"Succeed in what? Fixing something that is unfixable?! Just admit it, sister! We are on the last place in this whole competition of importance. Everything he cares about is money."

-"Well, I do not remember the last time we spent quality time together. I myself am not sure why do we keep trying. Maybe you are right."-throughout their whole conversation Simran looked kind of depressed. Nandini felt sorry for her and tried to comfort her sister.

-"Hey! It is not that bad"-Nandini put her hand on Simran's shoulder and gave her a tender smile-"At least, we have each other."-her words made Simran raise her head a little and she even smiled a bit, happy that the two sisters were together, especially at moments when one of them was feeling insignificant.-"Do you want to play _"Trivia empire"_?"-Nandini offered a game to play.

-"Sounds great."-Simran agreed and smiled wider.

The game started. The two twins were at different parts of the garden and were pretending that they were the empresses of their respective empires. They must ask each other questions and whoever answers the most questions, she has the right to "take over" the other's "empire". Simran was the first who asked a question:

-"Okay! Which is the oldest country in Europe?"

-"Bulgaria!"-it did not take Nandini too long to answer.

-"Correct!"

-"Okay! My turn now! What was Cleopatra VII's true nationality?"

-"Greek!"

-"Wow, you are fast!"-Nandini complimented Simran, but not very sincerely, since she expected her to answer.

-"My turn! Which is the most popular Japanese comic book?"

-"You are kidding me, right? A one that easy?"

-"Yes, why not? I am sure that you can answer, but I am not sure if you think that you can do it."-Simran mocked her sister a bit.

-"Of course, I know. One piece."-Nandini raised her voice a bit.

-"Wow, you did it."-Simran said this in a very deadpan tone which provoked Nandini to become more enthusiastic.

-"Ooh! So you want to fight, huh?"

-"Why? You think you can beat me?"

-"You bet?"

-"Okay!"-both girls prepared themselves. Nandini was next.

-"Tell me in which country fishermen use specially trained cormorants for fishing?"

-"China. Who was the only actress who became a princess after marrying a prince?"

-"Grace Kelly. What mythical creature was the Pale man from "Pan's labyrinth" inspired by?"

-"Tenome. Speaking of labyrinths. From which word does the word "labyrinth" come from?"

-"Labrys."

Simran and Nandini kept doing this for a long time. It pretty much made them forget about what happened today and how disappointed they were that their father never had any time for them.

Meanwhile, Kyoya went to the meeting he mentioned earlier and came back many hours later. When he got home, it was already night time. He went to check on the girls, to talk to them or, at least, to apologize about earlier. Unfortunately, when he entered their room, he saw that they were already asleep. He sighed and got closer to them, in order to give each of them a small kiss on the cheek. _"Days are not long enough"_ he thought.

He went to his own bedroom, sat on his bed and started to work on his laptop. While he was busy, his phone rang. That was not predicted. Kyoya was not expecting for anyone to call him tonight:

-"Hello!"-he answered and the voice he heard caught him off-guard.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

chapter 3: An angel appears

-"Hello there, _"Mommy Kyoya"_!"-it was none other than Tamaki Suoh himself.

-"Tamaki?"- Kyoya was very surprised to hear his best friend's voice after such a long time.

-"You have no idea how good it feels like to hear you once again."

-"Hello to you too! How are you?"

-"I am fine. And so are my wife and son. You know...we heard the news about your marriage and..."

-"Do not bother to ask!"

-"What?"-Tamaki's voice quickly changed from happy to confused.

-"Ren and I are no longer togeher. She was not "the one"."

-"Wow, fellow Kyoya! It must have been pretty hard for you."-another voice joined the conversation. It was Haruhi.

-"Haruhi? No, do not worry, guys! It is not like I never knew that she had ulterior motives. I married her simply because my father wanted me to. He thought that it would be good for the Ootori family company."

-"We are so sorry, fellow!"-there was a sense of sympathy in Haruhi's voice, but there was no need for it. Kyoya was not feeling depressed or sad.

-"Do not worry, Haruhi! She is anyone else's problem now. I do not care where she is. I have bigger issues right now."

-"What is the matter, Kyoya?"-Tamaki returned in the conversation.

-"It's my daughters."

-"Daughters?"-Haruhi was surprised.

-"You have children?!"-but Tamaki was more enthusiastic.

-"Yes, I do. The only two good things that Ren and I did together."

-"Well, congratulations."-Haruhi raised her voice slightly, in order to express that she was happy for Kyoya.-"How old are they?"

-"They are 11. They are twins."

-"Sweetheart, they are almost as old as our son."-Tamaki mentioned this detail to his wife.-"What are their names, Kyoya?"

-"Simran and Nandini."

-"Beautiful names."

-"Thank you."

-"Tell us something about them."

-"My girls are very smart and I am very proud of them. I expect them to have brilliant careers."

-"Fellow, you mentioned that you have issues with them?"

-"Unfortunately, I do. Due to my job, I rarely pay them any attention and this is ruining my relationship with them."

-"Wait, Kyoya! Wait!"

-"What is it, Tamaki?"-Kyoya seemed curious to find out what Tamaki was going to suggest.

-"Yes! What is it, Tamaki?"-and so was Haruhi.

-"This sunday, Haruhi, Seval _(their son)_ and I will visit you and your daughters."

-"Why?"

-"I think that maybe our families need to take a break. In that way you can spend some time with your daughters. Not to mention that we are going to introduce them to our son. I would love for it to happen."

Kyoya did not respond immediately. He used the moment to think about it. He came to the conclusion that it is not a bad idea:

-"Tamaki, it is still hard for me to say this to you, but that is not a bad idea.

On the next morning...

Saturday. 6 AM. Nandini was already awake, unlike Simran who was still asleep. The girl with the red bangs tried to wake her up:

-"Hey, Simran! Aren't you going to get up? It is Saturday."-but alas, she did not move, so Nandini made another attempt.-"Come on! Even bears sleep less."-suddenly she felt something. Appearantly, Simran was awake now, but she did not look very good. In fact, she looked pretty creepy. The girl growled and finally spoke:

-"What do you want?"

-"Not a dead sister. That's for sure."

-"Listen! Last night we were up for a long time. We were throwing random questions at each other, until one of us shoots herself. Which is why I am tired now. So. Leave. Me. Alone."

-"But, it is Saturday morning."

-"I do not give a churro if it is Saturday morning."-Simran was finally done speaking and went to bed again. Her sister, though was very annoyed with this.

-"Uuufff! Why do we have to get through this every morning?! Okay, 1 more hour. Then, I am coming back. Hasta la vista, baby!"

-"Shut up!"

10 AM...

Both girls were in the kitchen and having breakfast. They were all alone in the room, until someone else decided to join-Kyoya was also awake. The moment he entered the kitchen, the twins quickly frowned. _"Why?"_ and _"What does he want?"_ is what they were thinking. He ignored their stares and greeted them with a fatherly smile on his face:

-"Good morning, girls!"-they did not respond him much. They just gave him a quiet and barely noticeable _"Good morning!".-"_ Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

-"No."-Nandini answered quietly without looking at him in the eyes.

-"Tomorrow a few friends from high school will be visitng us. Their young son will accompany them."

His words seemed to have an effect on the girls. While eating, they paid a little attention to what he was going to say, but suddenly his phone rang. Kyoya took it out to see who was calling him and he saw that it was somebody who should not be ignored. Tamaki wanted for discuss some things about tomorrow. He sighed:

-"I am sorry, girls! But I have to answer."- Kyoya came out of the kitchen. The only reaction from Simran and Nandini was just a sigh. They were very used to this.

The day kept going without the two sides (Kyoya and his daughters) bothering each other. Kyoya was still on his phone and the twins were in their room minding their own business. Although, they were curious about what he was going to tell them this morning:

-"Remember when he said that some friends of his are coming here tomorrow?"-Simran spoke first.

-"Yes, I remember. I was there too. I am actually surprised that he has had any friends in high school. I thought that he was one of those students who focus entirely on their own success and have no time for friendships."

-"Well, appearantly he has had any."

-"Why do you think that they will come?"

-"Why do you ask?"

-"I do not know."

-"Maybe it is because of nostalgia."

-"Very likely."

-"What should we do?"

-""We"? Why do you think that we have any role in this?"

-"Father did mention that they have a son."

-"So?"

-"Maybe they want to introduce him to us."

-"This is an option too."

While Simran and Nandini were talking, Kyoya was finally done with preparing tomorrow's plans. When he looked at the clock to see what time it is, he saw that it was already 6 PM. It was almost dark outside. He ordered the maid to cook dinner.

After a while, he called the girls:

-"Simran! Nandini! Dinner!"

They heard him and immediately went to the kitchen. The three of them sat on the table and started to eat. While the family was having dinner, neither of them was saying even a word. They were all very silent. Despite this, every now and then, Kyoya was looking at his daughters and was thinking about a subject to discuss with them. They did not seem to notice that he was staring at them, because they never stopped eating, neither turned their eyes in his direction. The only thing they wanted right now, was to just finish their dinner and to go back to their room.

In an attempt to start a better relationship with his children, Kyoya decided to break the silence:

-"So, girls!"-once they heard his voice they stopped eating. They were surprised by this sudden action.-"How was it at school?"

-"Nice."-Nandini answered the question in her usual deadpan tone.

-"You have not forgotten that I expect from both of you to be straight-A students, have you?"

-"No, father."-Simran answered in the same tone her sister did before.

-"I also expect you to behave well tomorrow."

-"Okay, father!"-they answered together. The converastion was not very effective, since Simran and Nandini did not change their attitudes at all. Quite the opposite. They were hoping that it would end soon.

-"Thank you, girls!"-there was a short moment of silence. Kyoya was thinking about what he should say next. While he thought, the twins already finished their meals and were now going to leave the kitchen. The young father noticed that they were about to leave, so he tried to stop them:

-"Girls! Wait! Just wait!"-they stopped and looked at him, waiting for what he was about to say. Unfortunately, Nandini did not have enough patience to deal with this:

-"Okay, father! Stop!"-she told him sternly.-"Stop it already! You are making a fool out of yourself!"

-"Listen, Nandini! I was just..."-he wanted to say something, but Nandini interrupted him before he had the chance.

-"I am sorry, but I have to interrupt you, because this not going anywhere."-Kyoya did not say anything. He did not feel like he can.-"We got it. You have big expectations from us. We understand this. And we are fine with it. We want stable lives too."-Simran nodded as a sign of agreement.-"There is no need to explain. You just want your daughters to become competent enough, in order to deserve to inherit your business. Since the Ootori family is all about gain."

-"Nandini!"-Kyoya finally spoke.-"It is true that benefit is very important for the Ootoris. I myself live by a similar principle. You do something when there is something to gain. Which is why my business is so successful. When you two grow up, you will see. But this is not want I want to tell you right now."

-"No, father! There is no need to tell us anything."-Nandini has always knew about the Ootori's principle. Which was the reason why she disbelieved that her father's love could be pure.

-"Excuse me!"-Kyoya felt offended.

-"We know that for you money is all you care about. Isn't this the reason why you barely acknowledge us-Simran and me."

After hearing these words, Kyoya frowned and lost the enthusiasm to keep talking. Instead, he stand up and left the kitchen, without saying a word. It can be said that what Nandini told him meant that he does not care about his daughters. They thought that he does not love them. After finding out this, a big wave of memories hit him. He remembered the way he was treated by his own family.

Meanwhile, Simran and Nandini were still in the kitchen:

-"Look what you just did!"-Simran was not happy about what her sister did.

-"I did not do anything!"

-"He is upset now. Because of you."

-"Well, somebody had to say it. Do not act like you do not feel the same."

-"I do, but..."

-"Listen, Simran! I do not hate our father."-Nandini's voice suddenly got lower.-"And I know that you do not hate him too."-her tone changed completely. She was about to cry.-"But I am just tired. I am tired of all this."-tears came out of her eyes and she started to cry. It was very hard for Simran to watch this, so she embraced her sister and patted her head, while saying comforting words.

2 PM...

Simran and Nandini were sleeping in their beds. Simran, though could not sleep, so she got out of her bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

At 2 PM, Kyoya was sitting in the dark kitchen all alone. His phone was the only light provider. He was doing the paperwork, but he was having trouble with it, because he could not stop the tears that were coming out of his eyes. His memories were another distractor. He stopped working when he heard a small voice:

-"Father?"-the voice belonged to his daughter Simran who was standing right next to him, watching him torturing himself.

-"Simran?!"-he quickly dried his tears, hoping that the child did not see them.-"Why are you awake at this time?"

Simran did not answer. She did not say anything. She just stepped closer and hugged her father. Kyoya was very surprised by this, but he did not reject her, instead he hugged her as well. And he hugged her tightly. Nobody said even a word, they were just hugging.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter 4: New beginning?**

2 AM. Kyoya and Simran were both still awake. Neither of them could sleep at this time, because they were both being bothered by their own thoughts. Instead, they used the chance to talk.

For the first time in forever, they were having a deep conversation between father and daughter. They wanted to reveal their feelings:

-"Simran, listen! I am so sorry about everything. I know that our relationship is not very good and this is all my fault. I know that your mother disappointed you strongly and now I am doing the same mistakes."

-"Oh, father..."

-"I know that you girls, probably see me as some sort of a general and I cannot really blame you. I thought the same about my own father. I still do."

-"You do not speak to him?"

-"No, not anymore."

-"Did mother disappoint you as well?"

-"Yes and no. I always knew that there was something fishy about her. Ever since we first met. The only reason I married her was because I thought that I can finally do something to please my father, but as it turned out, he is not a person who can ever be satisfied."

After hearing this, Simran started to see Kyoya in a very different light. Despite that he has often disappointed her and her sister, they never hated him. In fact, deep down they both appreciated the fact that, unlike their mother, he was still there to take care of them and never left. Both girls genuinely loved their father and their only desire was for him to love them back, but since they rarely saw him, they began to doubt that he actually cares about them. Eventually Nandini completely gave up trying, but Simran had a little hope that something good was going to happen. Maybe not soon, but someday. Was that "someday" today?

Simran realized that their father may had done a few mistakes, but the twins were not innocent either:

-"Daddy?"

-"What is it, daughter?"

-"I am sorry. Me and Nandini were treating you poorly too."-the girl felt really ashamed of herself. It is very easy to blame someone else for their mistakes, but it is not that easy to admit it when you yourself make a mistake.-"We understood that you have a lot of work and we knew that money does not grow on trees, but we preferred to think that that was not an excuse for you to ignore us. So we thought that maybe we should do the same. We thought that things would never change."-and she hugged him again. He hugged her too and patted her head, in order to comfort her.

-"No need to apologize."-he told her. While Kyoya was hugging and comforting his daughter, he was thinking about Nandini and what he should do about his relationship with her.

6 AM. Nandini woke up and tried to wake her sister too, despite being aware of the fact that this may annoy her. To her surprise, her twin was not in her bed. That was a bit unusual. Nandini could not believe that Simran has actually gotten up early. Usually, it is very difficult to wake her up, but this morning seemed to be an exception. What she did not know, though was that Simran was still sleeping, but in their father's bed. And he was sleeping there too.

2 hours later, the entire Ootori family was awake and they were having breakfast together, but something was different. Every now and then, Kyoya and Simran were looking at each other and were exchanging smiles. That was weird. Usually, Simran barely looked at him. But now, they were even talking to each other, although nothing much, just asking random questions. _"What happened for one night?"_ was what Nandini was thinking at the moment. After they were all done with their breakfast, Kyoya went to his office and the twins went to their room. Nandini immediately started to investigate:

-"What happened in the kitchen?"

-"Nothing unusual."

-"I do not think so. Usually you never smile at father."

-"Well, something happened last night."

-"What?"

-"Nothing much. We just talked a little bit and I decided to give him another chance."

-"I thought that you gave up."

-"You should have seen him, Nandini. I have never seen him like this. I think that he deserves another chance."

-"I do not know. I am not sure about this."

-"Can you, at least, try?"

-"I will."

-"Thank you, sister!"-they hugged.

2 PM. The doorbell rang. The maid opened the door to see who it is. It was the Suoh family-Tamaki, his pregnant wife Haruhi and their 10-year old son Seval. Tamaki was the first who greeted:

-"Good afternoon, my dear maid! Is young master here?"-the maid did not have a chance to answer, because somebody answered instead of her. It was Kyoya:

-"I am. Good to see you again, Tamaki. You too, Haruhi."

-"Good to see you too, fellow Kyoya."-Haruhi greeted him back.

-"This must be your young heir."-Kyoya directed his attention to their son.

-"Yes. This is our son Seval."-Haruhi introduced him.-"Say hi to , Seval!"-and in a maternal manner, she told him to say hello.

-"Hello, ! I have heard a lot about you."-Seval said with a smile and offered his hand for a friendly handshake.

-"I have heard a lot about you too, Seval."-Kyoya shook the boy's hand.-"How old are you?"

-"10."

-"You are almost as old as my daughters. They are only 1 year older than you."

-"Are they here now?"-Seval wanted to meet them.

-"Yes, they are. Simran! Nandini!"-Kyoya called his daughters and they came as fast as they can.

Kyoya introduced Seval to his daughters. The three children liked each other:

-"Hello, ladies! My name is Seval Suoh."

-"Nice to meet you, Seval! My name is Simran Ootori and this is my sister Nandini."

-"Say, Seval! Do you know how to play "Trivia empire"?"

-"No. What is that game?"

-"A beginner. This time, I will win for sure."-Nandini was thrilled of the idea that she was going to play against someone who does not know how to play "Trivia empire". She thought that there was no way that she is going to lose. But there was one more thing she did not know about Seval. Just because he does not know how to play the game, did not mean that he cannot play it.

The chidren went to the garden to play, while their parents went were drinking tea and talked.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, Ren was making plans.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter 5: One step closer**

While the children were playing in the garden, the adults were just sitting and watching them. Haruhi and Tamaki were both looking at their son proudly and happily. They enjoyed seeing him play with other children. Despite their high social status, with Tamaki originating from a wealthy family and Haruhi being his wife, they were still surprisingly down-to-earth people who wanted nothing more, but to see how their children will grow happily.

In one random moment, Haruhi turned her head, so as to see Kyoya. It is not that she was feeling nervous about anything, but she noticed something different about him. She saw him looking at his daughters and smiling. From time to time, even laughing quietly. In other words, he looked like a normal father. Haruhi found this strange, since she was not used to seeing him that way.

Back when they were all still in high school, Kyoya Ootori was a very introverted and reserved type of guy. He was far more interested in benefit than anything else.

But now, she sees a totally different man. A man who simply enjoys to look at his children playing.

"Well, I suppose that 11 years are a long time."-she thought-"A lot of things have happened in those years. Among them was when he was abandoned by his wife. Not to mention that when we phoned him that day, he said that he has problems with his daughters. He said that he does not spend much time with them, due to his schedule. But things seem to be okay now."

Kyoya finally noticed that Haruhi was staring at him. He knew that it was most likely because of his attitude right now:

-"Surprised to see me like that, Haruhi?"- he turned his face, which had a sly smile on, in her direction.

"His telepathy skills seem to be as strong as before."-she thought by making a reference to the times when he could seemingly read her mind.

-"A little bit. I am just not used to seeing you like this. You use to be such a stoic, but now you are...different.- she did not mean to insult him, but it was a fact. Kyoya rarely showed emotions in front of people. And he hardly ever laughs or smiles in such a sincere way.

-"I have different priorities now, Haruhi. I am a businessman in his early 30's who must raise two children on his own."-his sly smile disappeared and was replaced by disgust-"My father forced me to marry a descendant of Pandora who gave a birth to two daughters, but after that she left and nobody ever saw her again. This unfortunate series of events made me realise some things, Haruhi. They made me look at things in a different light."

After seeing his swift change of mood, from happy to angry, Haruhi felt guilty for unintentionally reminding him of his pain.

-"I am sorry, fellow. I did not mean to ruin your mood."

-"You are not the one I am mad at."

Tamaki saw and heard everything and he immediately felt the need to make both Kyoya and Haruhi happy again.

-"Hey, there is no point in arguing about the past, Kyoya. Look! We are all here together! With our children! The children who love us. Who need us. The reasons we should forget about what we do not have and remember what we do have."

Kyoya considered Tamaki's words and even though he did not say anything, from his expression it was obvious that he knew that his friend is right.

"His beautiful naivety!"-he thought and he looked again at his daughters. Simran saw that her father was looking and waved to him, like she was saying "Hi!". He waved back.

-"Hey, you know what?"-Tamaki raised his voice gleefully, like he often does.-"Maybe someday we should invite all the other members of the host club-Mori, Honey, Hikaru and Kaoru. They should all come here with their families and we will have fun together by reminding each other about the good old times."

-"You know, your idea does not sound bad, Tamaki."-Haruhi quickly agreed with her husband-"Besides, we have not seen them in a long time."

They both turned to Kyoya and waited for his answer.

-"I do not see why not."- he said casually.

Simran and Seval were still playing, but Nandini was too focused on thinking. A lot of things were on her mind. Mostly her relationship with her father.


	6. Chapter 6

chapter 6: "Daddy is here"

Kyoya, Haruhi and Tamaki all made the decision to invite all the other former members of the host club in Kyoya's house on Christmas.

Unfortunately, the next few weeks were not very happy for the Ootori family. One morning, Simran woke up to find out that there was something wrong with Nandini:

-"Hey, Nandini! What's wrong?"

-"I do not feel very well, Simran."-she said very quietly.

Simran touched her forehead, in order to make sure if her sister was sick. It turned out that she was right and Nandini was indeed sick. She went to tell her father.

After he heard that one of his daughters was sick, Kyoya forbid Simran from getting near her sister, or else she will get infected. Neither of the two twins were happy.

Nandini never felt so lonely. Even on her darkest days, the two girls were always there for each other. But today was a huge exception. The little girl was forced to stay in her bed for the entire day. She was in her room all alone and she did not know what to do. Kyoya decided to go to see her.

He entered her room with a fatherly expression on his face:

-"Hello, dear!"- he greeted her, but she did not respond. Usually she would frown, but this time, she lacked enough energy to do anything.

Kyoya was carrying a big tray which had books, medicine, a glass of water and a little bowl of yogurt on it:

-"I came here to check on you."-he put the tray on a table. He took some pills and gave them to Nandini, as well as the glass of water. After she swallowed the pills, her father gave her a book:

-"Since you are going to spend a lot of time alone here, I thought that you can do something to kill time."

-"Thank you."- she said and she took the book.-"Why are you here, by the way? Couldn't you just send the maid?"-for her it was hard to realise why her father was the one treating her. She was used to being ignored by him.

-"That was my decision, besides there are other things that the maid should be doing now. You are my daughter, after all."

Nandini did not say anything.

Throughout the entire day, Kyoya kept entering her room to check on her, to caress her head and to tell her not to worry. Nandini was not sure why, but she liked that.

In the evening, Kyoya was just sitting on the chair near Nandini's bed and was reading a book. From time to time, he caressed her hair.

9 P.M.

Kyoya slowly got up and he was now about to leave the room:

-"Okay, I am going to bed now."-he leaned towards her and touched her cheeks. He smiled and kissed her forehead.-"Good night! I hope that you will be better tomorrow."

Right before he left, Nandini spoke:

-"Wait!"- her voice was still just as weak, but the man heard her anyway.

He turned and waited for what she had to say:

-"Could you please stay here with me, during the night?"-she was not used to spending an entire night in the bedroom alone.-"This night, at least."

Her father just smiled and gave a polite "Yes, of course."

Throughout the night, Kyoya slept in Nandini's bed, while she kept embracing him.

2 days later, Nandini was feeling perfectly fine now. She could finally spend time with Simran. Almost everything was just like before, although Kyoya got sick and it was his turn to stay in his bed for a long time. Due to the fact that he was consantly touching Nandini's face, while she was ill, he got infected. Despite that he was not happy about his condition, part of him did not regret it, because while taking care of Nandini, he felt like a father. The other reason why his sickness could not ruin his mood completely was the fact that from time to time, the twins were entering his room to see him and to ask him if he was feeling better.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

chapter 7: "From Christmas to Witch season"

December, a few weeks before Christmas.

The Ootori family were home and were preparing for the former Host club's visit. Tamaki and Haruhi came, accompanied by their son and their baby daughter, to help with the preparations. Everything was going according to plan, until the doorbell rang.

The maid went to the door to see who was waiting there. When she opened it, she was surprised to see that it was none other than Ren Shen-Ootori, Simran and Nandini's biological mother and Kyoya's ex-wife:

-"Good afternoon!"-Ren greeted the maid.

"Where is Jack the Ripper when you actually need him?" was what the maid was thinking.

-" , who is at the door?"-Kyoya said while coming down the stairs.

He stopped moving, after he saw who caused the ringing:

-"Hello, Kyoya!"-Ren said casually, like nothing has ever happened between the two.

-"Why are you here?"-he said with annoyance.-"It is winter. You are supposed to be hibernating like the other snakes."

-"I came here to see the children."

-"8 years after you left them?"

-"How time flies!"

-"Fellow Kyoya, what is going on? Who is it?"-Haruhi came to see who was at the door too. When she saw Ren, she was confused, since she did not know this woman.

-"Who is this, Kyoya?"-Ren looked at Haruhi.

-"Just a friend of mine. Do not change the subject! Have you really came here just to see your daughters?"

-"Why are you acting so hostile towards me? I know that it is in your blood, but we used to be spouses."

-"We were just business partners, that's all."

-"Listen, there is no need to argue about the past. I just came here to see the children."

Throughout the conversation, Kyoya refused to believe that Ren was sincere. He did not trust the sly smile she had on her face. While they were demonstating their mutual dislike, another voice joined:

-"Hey Kyoya, where did you go? We were preparing for..."-Tamaki stopped talking after he saw the strange woman who was staring at Kyoya slyly.-"Kyoya! Who is this woman?"

-"This is Ren Shen. My former wife and the twins' biological mother."

-"Or as knows her, "the Last remaining vampire"."-the maid added. It was clear that even she disliked Ren.

-"Wow, there is a lot of pressure in this house!"-Ren said calmly.

-"If you are here."-Kyoya responded.

-"Can we just talk? Alone? In some other room?"

-"Why? You do not want any witnesses?"

-"Just go!"

Kyoya and Ren went to the kitchen. There was nobody else there. Ren was the first one to speak. She revealed the reason for her sudden visit:

-"Now! I want to take the girls with me."

-"For how long?"

-"Not long. Just forever."

-"No way."

-"Oh, come on! It is not like you actually need them. When I first met you, you were far more interested in business than in being a parent. Not to mention that the reason you agreed to have children with me was so that there would be someone to inherit the company."

Her last words were a hit below the belt for Kyoya. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Not that he would ever tell her that. Despite that he did not say anything or showed any visible reaction, Ren smiled. Like she knew that her words managed to get under his skin:

-"I am doing you a favor, Kyoya. You would have much more time which you can dedicate to your company. And the children will get to know their mother better. Everybody wins."

-"No, Ren! I am not interested in your suggestion, at all."

-"Trust me, "dear"! You do not want this. You do not want to challenge me."

-"My answer is still no."

Ren did not say a word. Instead, she stared at Kyoya for a while, but this time she was not smiling. She was frowning. She seemed pretty annoyed.

After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke:

-"Okay! If this is how you want it to be?"-she smiled again.-"But remember! This is not the end."

She started walking towards the door of the house. She was finally about to leave.

"The first Christmas miracle!" was what Kyoya was thinking about the fact that she was leaving now.

-"See you later, "dear"!"-Ren said this right before leaving.

She was finally gone. The maid was the only one to sigh with relief:

-"Thank Shiva, she is gone! And I thought that if she did not leave sooner, I would have had no other choice but to test the new knives."

Everybody else was worried, especially Kyoya. Haruhi was concerned:

-"Fellow Kyoya, what did she tell you? Why was she here?"

-"Do not worry about it! This is my problem!"

Tamaki and Haruhi both knew that something was bothering him. He could not fool them.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

chapter 8: "Bullying-part 1"

Monday. Everything in Simran and Nandini's school was fine, until... the new girl arrived. Her name was Una-Imelda Peligrosa. After she arrived, she became famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) for a short time. Due to her sense of humor and self-esteem, a lot of the children in the school liked her and even admired her. She was like the typical popular girls you see in movies. Exactly like them.

Una-Imelda had only one point of view-hers. For her, the world is an amusement park, and she is its best visitor, but also the manager. Other people are just the other visitors, who can either ruin her fun or maybe make it better. The "visitors" who ruin her fun will suffer, but they do not always intend to ruin it-sometimes she picks herself who is going to suffer. Also, there are no rules in her amusement park.

A few minutes before the classes started, Una-Imelda entered the classroom and picked a seat. Then she introduced herself, with a smile on her face:

-"Hi! I'm Una-Imelda Peligrosa! I'm new here!"

Nandini was the first who greeted her back:

-"Well, hello, to you too, Peligrosa! My name is Nandini Ootori and this is my twin sister, Simran Ootori."

Una-Imelda gave Simran a quick look, like she was analyzing her. Simran herself found it strange, but she did not pay too much attention to it. After a short moment of silence, Una spoke again:

-"Ootori, eh? Yeah, I have heard about your folks. By the way, Simran Ootori, why are you wearing that dress?"

Simran felt confused:

-"What? My dress? What is so wrong with it?"

-"It's just so... it does not have any color. Its just white and a little grey. Your boots are the same."

-"Well, I like them. I think that, despite the lack of color, they are beautiful in their own way."

-"Nah, still not my cup of tea! I prefer something more colorful. Look at your sister, for example-cool purple shirt with red lines, boots decorated with emerald-shaped buckles and a belt to match."

-"Well, thank you, I guess!"-Nandini thanked her for the "compliment", but a little after that, she frowned. She was starting to dislike the new girl, while Simran felt a little awkward.

During class, Simran kept thinking about what just happened. After the bell rang, it was time for the children to go home now.

The next day, Una-Imelda was already very popular. She quickly managed to befriend a lot of her new classmates. They enjoyed listening to her and loved being around her. Although, there were still a few children who did not enjoy her company that much. Simran and Nandini were among them.

Today, Una-Imelda came to the Ootori twins again:

-"Hey, hello again, you two!"

-"Hello!"-in order to hide their discomfort, they replied quietly and unenthusiastically.

-"So, Ootori, I see that have not listened to me."-she turned to Simran.

-"What do you mean?"

-"About your clothes. They are still not colorful."

-"It is just my decision. Right now, I want to wear these clothes."-she raised her voice, a little bit. She sounded confident, but not sassy.

-"Geez, calm down! No need to act mean."

-"I am not acting mean, I am just..."

-"Wow, you are making a big storm in a cup of tea, because of some clothes. What a drama queen!"

-"Look who's talking!"-Nandini joined.

The next day, it got even worse. Una-Imelda was giving invitations to her classmates. The invitations were for a party this weekend. She gave to everyone, except for Simran:

-"Hey, what about Simran?"-Nandini said. She got an invitation too, but she was wondering why her sister never got one.

-"What about her?"-Una responded.

-"Aren't you gonna give her one as well?"

-"Not after what she did yesterday."

-"How about what you did?"

-"Ootori, if you keep acting like this, I'm gonna take the invitation back and give to someone who does not ask many questions."

-"Do it! Like I care."-and she threw the invitation.

-"Come on, Ootori! She is such a weirdo."

-"You better take that back!"

-"I mean, look at her. She makes a lot of noise for small things."

-"No, that's just you."

-"No, I'm not. Take yesterday, for example. I just made little jokes."

-"You made another girl talk with her, while you sneaked behind her and put the trash can right on her head."

-"It was just a little joke."

-"You did not even apologize."

-"Well, she snitched on me, after that. How do you expect me to apologize?"

Simran kept listening to their fight without saying a word, until she finally got enough courage:

-"Stop! Nandini, let's just not bother. It is not worth it."

-"But she.."

-"Please! I can take care of myself."

-"Okay! But if things get any worse, I am going to do something about it."

-"Okay!"

Both twins turned around and started minding their own business.

Unfortunately, not paying attention to the teasing and the pranks was not enough for Simran. Una-Imelda never stopped. She made school life almost unbearable. Each day was worse than the other. Sometimes, Simran really wanted to cry. Like that was not enough, but some of her classmates were part of it too-they laughed at her and enjoyed watching how Una-Imelda was ruining her days. Her sister, Nanidni was one of the very few, who were there to defend her, but that was not enough. Not that she did not appreciate it, but it could not stop the bullying.


	9. Chapter 9

chapter 9: "Bullying-part 2"

Friday night. The girls finally got home, but they did not look very happy about it. Especially Simran.

During dinnertime, Kyoya got home and he sat on the table to eat with his daughters. At first, everything seemed normal, but as time passed, he noticed something. He heard Simran's quiet crying and he saw the tears she was trying to hold. This view worried him. He asked her:

-"Simran, what is wrong?"

Nandini was the one who spoke, instead of her sister:

-"There is some girl in school who bullies her."

-"How exactly?"

-"Well, she..."

-"Thank you, Nandini, but how about letting her tell me?"-he interrupted her politely.

-"Sorry!"-Nandini apologized.

Right after they gave Simran a chance to speak, she has already left and went to her own room. Kyoya followed her.

The door for the twins' room was shut, so he knocked:

-"Simran, dear! May I come in?"

There was no answer, so he opened the door slowly, and saw Simran lying on her bed, very upset.

He came closer and sat on the bed, right next to her:

-"Simran, what happened?"

-"There is this girl. Her name is Una-Imelda Peligrosa. She is new, and she hates me."

-"What does she do to you? You can tell me."

-"She mocks my appearance. She throws trash at me. She encourages other children to mock me as well. She insults me and humiliates me every single day."-with every single word, she was crying more and more.-"I tried not to pay attention to her, but I cannot...I cannot stand it any longer. It is a nightmare. Why? What have I done? When is it going to stop?"

Kyoya could not stand seeing her like this. He took her in his arms, and hugged her tightly, while whispering comforting words:

-"Shh, shh! Do not be afraid, my child! You are not alone in this! We will find a way. I promise."

The next morning, Kyoya was thinking about a way to stop the bullying. The maid, , noticed that something was wrong with him:

-"Excuse me, Mr. Ootori ! Is something wrong?"

-"No need to worry, Ms. Priti . I am just worried about my daughter. She is being bullied at school for the pettiest reasons."

-"Bullies' reasons are always petty. Poor child."

-"Now, I am thinking about ways to help her, but it is not easy. I do not know how it feels. I was never bullied."

-"Never?"

-"Never. I never had any problems with my classmates. Even with those who disliked me. I always knew how to take care of myself. I am an Ootori, after all. I always used it to my advantage."

Suddenly, the phone rang. Kyoya looked at it to see who was calling him at such a moment, and he saw that it was Ren:

-"It's Ren."- and he frowned.

-"Please do not talk to her until I have my coffee, sir."

Luckily, he did not answer the phone, but shortly after that, it rang again. He answered, just to tell her to stop:

-"Ren, I really have no time for this."

-"You have not forgotten about our last conversation, have you?"

-"I want to forget all of our conversations."

-"But she will not allow it, sir." Ms. Priti mumbled.

-"Kyoya, I am still not ready to give up."

-"Ren! I cannot talk to you right now, because something very important is happening, and I cannot waste any time by talking to you."- and he hanged up.

-"Good job, sir!"-the maid congratulated him.-"Why does she have to ruin everything?"

-"It is in her witch blood."-Kyoya said in a deadpan tone.-"Now, back to Simran's problem. As I recall, she said that the little girl's surname was Peligrosa. Let's see what I can find about that name."

Kyoya sat on his laptop and started searching for information about the surname, hoping that maybe he can find something about it, like a family company, for example:

-"I think that I have seen this name before, but where?"

-"Let me help you with that, sir." took her phone and went to the Internet, with the same goal in mind.

For the following minutes, they were both searching, until Kyoya found something:

-"Ms. Priti, you can stop now!"-he ordered and she stopped.

She looked at his laptop, to see what he has found out.

Monday. The girls went to school. They were both worried, especially Simran. She was afraid that she was going to be bullied again. To her surprise, nothing happened for now.

The classes started, and everything was still peaceful, Una-Imelda was nowhere to be found. Not that the twins cared about where she was.

End of the school day. No Una-Imelda. No trouble. The entire day was perfect. That confused the girls a little bit:

-"That was weirdly unexpected."-Nandini said.

-"Yes. It was. What happened?"-Simran asked.

-"Oh, are you wondering about Peligrosa?"-a girl from their class asked.

-"It is a bit complicated. We do wonder..."-Nandini answered.

-"But we do not care."-and Simran finished.

-"Peligrosa is not part of our class anymore. Not even part of the school."

-"What? How? When?"-both twins were surprised.

-"I do not know. You can ask the headmistress."-she answered and then left.

Out of curiosity, Simran and Nandini went to the headmistress' office, where they were told that Una-Imelda Peligrosa was transferred to another school. They felt happy, after hearing this.

After finally arriving home, the went to their father's office, because they suspected something. They knocked on the door:

-"Come in!"- his voice was heard from the other side of the door.

The girls opened and they entered the room, to see Kyoya sitting on his desk and working:

-"Hello, girls! How was school today?"-he said smiling without making any suspicious expressions.

-"It was perfect."-Nandini answered the question.

-"How was it for you, Simran?"

-"Good, too. Um, father?"

-"Yes, dear!"

-"We heard that Peligrosa has been transferred."

-"What a surprise?"-he said without showing any reaction.

-"We were just wondering how did it happen. It is so sudden. Do you have anything to do with it?"

-"That is a very intriguing notion on its own way. But, if by anything you mean searching for information about the Peligrosa surname, in order to use it to my advantage, then yes."

-"Father..."

-"What? She was bullying my child. It is only natural that I will take things in my own hands and use her own name against her. Turned out, her family owns a company that rivals mine. So I investigated some systems, phoned her parents and told them, that if Una-Imelda will not stop with the bullying, then their company will suffer. They got the picture, and the rest is history. Those Peligrosas are not as brave as they thought they were."

The twins did not say anything. They just hugged their father very tightly and kissed him on his cheeks.


	10. Chapter 10

chapter 10: New path with old obstacles

After the Peligrosa case, everything in the Ootoris' life was practically perfect in almost every way. Simran and Nandini were doing pretty well in school without any problems. Everything at Kyoya's work was calm and with no stress, but despite this, he still thought that it was time for him and his daughters to do something they have never tried before-going on a family vacation.

For an unknown amount of time, he wanted to do something that would help in bonding with the girls. Something that other families do as well. Something they have not done before. Vacation was one of them. You see, due to his career as the owner of a highly successful holiday club, Kyoya has already traveled abroad, but only for business. He picked Greece, Olympiaki Akti to be more specific, as their destination. After work, he went home and was ready to tell the news to Simran and Nandini, but while he waited, somebody came to visit.

The doorbell rang. , the maid, went to open the door. Part of her was afraid that it was Ren again, but when she opened it, she was relieved to see that it was just Tamaki Suoh:

-"Hello there, ! Is Kyoya here?"- he said with a polite smile.

-"Yes, of course, Mr. Suoh!"-she responded with the same politness and called her employer.-" , sir! You have a visitor."

-"I know, . I heard him."-Kyoya said while climbing down the stairs.

After he was finally in front of his old pal, he greeted him with his typical smile:

-"Hello, Tamaki! What brings you here now?"

-"I just came to talk to you about our plans. I thought you would not mind discussing the reunion of the host club we talked about a little time ago."

Suddenly, Kyoya's smile disappeared. Not because he was angry or upset, but because he already had other plans:

-"I am sorry, Tamaki, but I cannot right now. I am planning a holiday to Greece."

Despite that it was not what he was expecting to hear, Tamaki was delighted:

-"A holiday?! To Greece?! Count me in!"- his tone became louder and faster-"Just wait! I have to tell Haruhi and the children. Oh, we can call the others too-Hikaru, Kaoru, Mori and..."

But before he could finish, Kyoya interrupted him politely:

-"Tamaki, let me finish. You misunderstood. It is a familiy vacation. For me and my daughters."

-"I understand that."

-"No, you still do not. Only for me and them."

Tamaki's excitement disappeared completely and his smile faded away. He seemed a little disappointed. He wanted the whole former host club to go to a holiday together with their families. He thought it would be fun:

-"I want to be alone with them."-Kyoya explained his intention.-"Away from the city, away from work and school, away from worries. Just for a few days."

Tamaki did not say anything, While still a little disappointed, he understood. He did not want to stay in Kyoya's way:

-"Okay, I understand. I am glad that you are still trying to be there for your daughters. Good to see that your life is in a new healthy direction."- his voice was pretty monotone, but he put a small smile on his face, in an attempt to be a good friend.-"I will leave you be then. Just call me when..."-before he could finish, Kyoya interrupted him again:

-"I never said anything about not reuniting with the others."- his words seemingly changed Tamaki's expression.-"We will have our reunion, but not for now. As a matter of fact, I am already planning a different trip, where we can go to with our respective families."

That last part was the honey that poured on Tamaki's heart. He immediately jumped in the air and landed on Kyoya, in order to give him a huge hug, just like when they first met:

-"Thank you, Kyoya! Thank you! I knew you would understand."-he was sqeezing him hard, while Kyoya was trying to take him off his body:

-"Let me go! Let me go, you idiot!"

After Tamaki left, Simran and Nandini finally came back home. Their father was already there to say welcome:

-"Welcome back home, girls!"

-"Good to be back, father!"-Nandini responded, without looking at him.

-"Go change and after you are done, come to my office. I have something to tell you."

The twins did not say anything. They did what they were ordered to do. They went to their room, changed their clothes and after they were done, they went to their father's office, kind of curious. Simran knocked on the door and after she heard the words "Come in." coming from the other side, she opened it. The girls entered the office and they saw Kyoya sitting on his chair and working on his laptop. After he saw them entering, he stopped what he was doing and turned in their direction:

-"Good news, girls! I am taking a few days off, so that we three can go on a holiday to Greece."

The good news caught the girls off guard. They were pleasantly surprised to hear that. They have always wanted to go somewhere abroad:

-"Really?"- appearantly, Simran was too excited to believe it.

-"But, of course."

-"When?"

-"In two days. It is going to be a long trip, so you better take everything necessary. You can make a list. Things, such as books, neck pillows, blankets, et cetera."

-"Okay!"-Simran responded obedientely and after that the two girls rushed to their room and started to prepare for the trip. They put their suitcases on the floor and started to put anything they would need during the flight and the stay in Greece.

While preparing, was in the kitchen cooking dinner for tonight. She immediately stopped when she heard another doorbell ring. Thinking that it was Tamaki again, she recklessly went to the door and opened it without hesitation. How dissappointed, and even disgusted, poor Priti was when she saw that it was Ren this time.

"Do the gods hate me or what?" she thought.

-"Hello, Priti!"-Ren said before entering, without asking to.

-" , who is at the door?"-Kyoya's called.

-"Your worst nightmare, sir." responded.

-"Why are you here again, Ren?"-he asked, without coming down.

-"Come down, Kyoya! I have something to tell you."

Kyoya did come down and faced Ren. He still wanted her to leave, but he decided to put up with her for a few seconds.

-"You do not answer my phone calls, so I decided to come here and talk to you personally."-Ren shared her excuse for visiting.

-"That is because when he sees it is you, he immediately rejects the call, as a survival reflex."-Priti answered, instead of Kyoya, but he did not mind. He was even grateful.

-"Shut up, Priti!"-then she turned to Kyoya.-"I came to inform you that I am still not ready to give up. I will take the girls."

-"At least, you have ambitions, Ren."-Kyoya did not feel threatened.

-"I mean it, jerk. I now have the necessary men to assist me. You WILL lose the fight. And in the end, when you have nothing, I will be there to mock you. You will regret that you have ever messed with me."

-"Ren, you are no threat to me. Do not forget that it was you who left. I was not the one who kicked you out."-Ren did not respond, and she was not smiling either.-"Even if you actually do manage to get the girls, they will never follow you. They are way too smart to follow an empthy path."

-"Keep talking! I wonder for how long you can come up with comforting words like these."-then she turned, facing the door.

Kyoya and Priti were wondering if Ren was about to leave. And they were right, when they saw her walking to the door and opening it. But before leaving, she turned in Kyoya's direction for one last time and said:

-"Everybody fears something, but you can always count on your father, right?"-she smiled and then she finally left, but her presence was still in the air.

Her last words caught Priti off guard. She was shocked by what she heard. She felt worry in her body, and then she turned to her boss, who surprisingly, was not showing much reaction, but his hands were shaking:

-"Sir?"-she said quietly, but he did not answer. After a few more seconds of silence, he finally spoke:

-"No! Do not worry, !"- he said without facing her.

Then he moved his hands, put them in the pockets of his jeans and finally looked at his maid and faced her:

-"Do not worry!"-despite what he said, she was still worried.-"I can handle everything she is going to put me through. What anyone is going to put me through."

After he said that, he turned and went back to his office, without saying anything else.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

chapter 11: Help the boss

While they were preparing, Kyoya went to check on Ms. Priti. He saw her cooking dinner for tonight, but while she was cooking, he spoke to her:

-" Ms. Priti, are you finished?"

-"Just a little more, sir. Why? Are you hungry? If you are, I can..."

-"No. Do not worry."-he interrupted her politely.-"I just want to ask you something."

-"But, of course, sir!"- she responded with a slight bow, out of respect.

-"Could you please take care of the mansion, while we are gone?"

-"Of course! You can count on me."- she said loudly with a wide smile.

-"I do count on you. I always have."

-"You can count on me for everything, sir."- she said, this time more quietly, refering to the fact that he can always tell her when he feels upset. It was her attempt to show him comfort and support after the last incident with Ren. Although, Priti was too young to have worked in the mansion while Ren was still a resident, she could still not stand that woman. She really liked and respected her boss, and wanted him to be happy. She was grateful to him for supporting her financially. Priti was a college student from India, who come to Japan, in order to study tourism. Kyoya provides her with money, by paying her to work for him, and her own bedroom in his house, so that she would not need to look for a dorm, in exchange for her services as a maid. They both had something to gain.

And he liked her too. Priti was a competent employee and it was always easy when she was around. He was grateful to her for always being there for him and for treating his daughters well. For the twins, she was like the older sister they never had. In other words, she was indeed more than just a maid, although he has never said that to her.

Priti was so mad at Ren, for intruding and insulting Mr. Ootori again. How much she hated that woman. Who did she think she was? She and Mr. Ootori are not husband and wife anymore. It was she who left him and she who left the girls. And yet, she still has the guts to keep coming here uninvited and unwanted, mocking her employer and threatening him. And the worst part was that she feels absolutely no shame. She is proud of it, instead. She just had no standards. Was she really Simran and Nandini's mother?! If she was allowed to, Priti could just hit the witch in the face with her own broom.

But right now, it is no time for anger. She was going to take care of the mansion, while the Ootori family are enjoying their vacation in Olympiaki Akti, like Mr. Ootori ordered. She wished she could help him more. Maybe she could prepare him tea. Yes, why not?

With a platter of tea in her hands, she went to Mr. Ootori's office and stopped in front of the door. She knocked and waited for an answer.

-"Come in!"- he said from the other side.

She opened the door and entered the room:

-"Sorry to disturb you, sir."- she said.-"I just thought that you would like some tea."

-"No, you are are not disturbing me at all. I would love to have some tea. I need something to do to relax."

-"Thank you so much!"- she said while putting the platter on his desk.

-"I thank you, Ms. Priti."- he said with a warm smile and took a teacup.

He drank a little bit and stopped for a second and looked at his maid:

-"This is a very good tea, Miss."

-"I was really hoping for you to like it."

He drank again. The tea was indeed pretty good. And it really helped him feel better. It was warm and had a very pleasant scent.

-"You know, Ms. Priti?"-he broke the silence unexpectedly.

-"What is it, sir?"

-"Except for keeping the mansion clean, while we are gone, I also expect you to make sure that Ren will not come here again."

-"Of course, sir!"

-"We should really be more careful when opening the door."

-"I know sir. I apologize."-she felt embarassed.

-"No, I do not blame you. Just saying."- Kyoya was not blaming her. Part of him felt just as guilty as her.

-"Okay, sir."

-"I think that things between me and the twins got better."- he changed the subject.

-"Yes, I noticed that."-she happily joined.-"You have a progress with them. Like it was yesterday when you relationship was so cold and distant, but now... You look like different people."

-"But I know that there are still some other things we should work on."-Kyoya knew that were still some things that were ignored between him and his daughters.

Back in the girls' room, Simran and Nandini were packing their stuff, but Nandini had something else on her mind. Something was bothering her, but it was not the upcoming trip.

Priti was very proud of herself, that even slightly, she managed to make her boss feel better, but it was still not enough for her:

-"Um, sir! Can I ask you something?"

-"Yes, you can."

-"Where is your next trip going to be?"-both out of curiosity and out of desire to give him advice, she started to ask him questions about their next destination.

-"I still have not picked yet."

"Yay, this is my chance." she thought. Advice about travel destinations was the only thing she came up with. She did not want to intrude too much in his privacy. She was afraid to ask him about his personal life or choices, things such as why he married Ren in the first place, why did he react that way when Ren mentioned his father, what kind of backstory he had with Mr. Suoh... She wanted to know more about him. She disliked that she had such an interest in her employer, and yet she could not help but wonder.


	12. Chapter 12

chapter 12: A trip of emotions, part 1

-"How about Italy?"-Priti offered.

-"More specific?"

-"Florence."

-"Florence?"-Kyoya seemed interested.

-"Have you ever been there? Because I have and it is worth it. Some people say it is a "museum city". Wherever you look you are surrounded by beautiful architecture, things such as churches and statues. You can feel Italian culture in the air. You will taste authentic Italian food- pizza, spaghetti, tortellini, and many more. You have seen street musicians before but, in Italy there are street opera singers. I am not making this up."

While Priti was describing it, Kyoya looked for information about the city on the Internet. He found pictures that showed exactly what Priti was talking about-the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, Fontana del Porcellino, Loggia dei Lanzi, the Statue of Dante Alighieri, and so much more. Everything looked so beautiful, and so tempting:

-"You really caught my interest, Ms. Priti."-he said and gave her a pleasant smile.-"Italy does not sound like a bad idea at all.

-"Really?"-she was excited.

-"Yes."

-"Well, glad I could help, sir."- she calmed down a bit, in order to hide her enthusiasm.-"And trust me, the girls are gonna love it."

-"Yes, they will."-Kyoya said rather quietly, but still loud enough for Priti to hear. He was thinking how happy his daughters were going to be and what a lovely time the three of them were going to spend together. "Good to have this woman around." he thought.

Ren was getting more and more impatient. She always knew that Kyoya was a stubborn one, but now she was certain she had to improve her tactics. "Oh, Kyoya,"- she thought.-"You were always like this. You have been nothing but a machine ever since I met you-always playing the role of the perfect gentleman who would do anything for the sake of success, never allowing anyone to see what is hiding behind the mask. But, like any machine, you have limits too. You have a turn-off button, which nobody has ever seen, and I will be the one who will push it. It is only a matter of time. I am going to take everything from you. I will leave you outside alone, crying for me to let you in. This is what you deserve for the way you treated me."

-"Ms. Ootori!"- a random voice interrupted the silence.

Ren turned around and saw that the voice belonged to her assistant:

-"Mr. Nasakenai, what a pleasant surprise. At least, I hope it will be a pleasant one. What do you have for me?"

-"It is indeed pleasant, madam. Me and my men found a solution to that pesky problem of yours."

-"I am all ears."

-"You see, step 1 is tracking. Our "stalkers" found out that Kyoya Ootori is going to Greece with his daughters...

-"Do not be ridiculous." she interrupted him arrogantly.-"My daughters."

-"Of course, madam. So, he has a reservation for a hotel already. Here are the name and address."-he gave her a little piece of paper with the name of the hotel and the address on it.

-"Hm, now that _is_ a pleasant surprise. And a pleasant opportunity."-Ren grabbed the piece of paper, and took her phone to call somebody.

The person she called answered his phone:

-"Hello!"-the said person's voice called. It was a man.

-"Hello! It is me-Ren."

-"Ren? Why do you call me?"- he did not sound annoyed, but tired.

-"It is about Kyoya?"

-"Kyoya?" his tone changed. He sounded disgusted.-" I do not need to listen about him. If he does not want to do anything with me, then why should I do? This boy is an embarassment to the Ootori name."

-"Think of it as me giving you an opportunity to get back your lost authority on him."

Her offer sounded intriguing to the man. He did not say anything, but he kept listening:

-"Think about it. No matter how smart the cat think he is, he is nothing compared to the lion. What kind of a successful businessman cannot control his own family. Your little white crow just needs to be reminded who is the head of the flock."

-"What exactly do you have in mind, Ren?"-he said with impatience in his tone.

-"Kyoya is going on a vacation with Simran and Nandini to Greece. I was just thinking that you can go as well. To check on his work, I mean. Since he will be staying in one of his own hotels. "Bring the children to work" type of deal, it seems."

-"Maybe you have a point, daughter-in-law. I can go check on Kyoya's work and see if all of his effort was actually worth it. To see if whether or not he still a dissappointment. Besides, if people see a successful resort with the Ootori name on it, will be very good for my own business as well. Thank you for the suggestion, Ren."

-"You are welcome, Yoshio."- she said and they both hung up.

"I told you you will regret messing with me, Kyoya" Ren thought and smiled triumphantly. "I wonder how you can handle your father this time."

Both Simran and Nandini were still very excited about the upcoming trip, but Nandini was less enthusiastic about it. There were a lot of things on her head now, but mostly she was wondering if whether this trip was going to worth it. It was going to be just her, Simran and... their father.

"Maybe I am supposed to be more excited." she thought. "But I am not. I do want to be with Simran, but... With father? What does he need me for? He has Simran."

To be continued..


	13. Chapter 13

chapter 13: A trip of emotions-part 2

Late at night, everyone was already asleep. Almost everyone. Nandini had a hard time falling asleep. Not only because she had a lot of things on her mind, but also because she was all alone in the bedroom. Simran was nowhere to be seen. Where was she?

Not wanting to be alone in her room anymore, Nandini got out of bed to look for her sister. She was not used sleeping alone. Even when she was sick, she had her father sleeping in the bed with her.

Nandini looked everywhere in the mansion. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the dining room, the living room. Everywhere, except for one room-their father's office. "It is the only place I have not checked." she thought, "She must be there."

After not very long searching, Nandini finally arrived in front of the office and was now facing the door. Although, she knew why was she there, she did not feel very confident about entering that room. Who knew what was behind that door. Maybe her father was there working in the middle of the night again. Or maybe, due being tired of so much work, he has already fallen asleep on his desk. There was only one way to find out.

She slowly and quietly opened the door, making a gap, small enough for her not to be seen, but still wide enough so she can see. What she saw was not disturbing, but it still made her feel weird.

She saw Kyoya and Simran both looking at the computer, like they were looking for something on the Internet. From time to time, they were making small comments about what they had found. Common phrases, such as "How about this?", "What do you think?", "I do not agree", etc.

It was a pretty normal father-daughter moment, but it still aroused tons of questions inside Nandini's mind: "What were they doing?, "Why were they doing it now?, "Why wasn't she told anything?", "Why did not they asked her to join?".

The young girl did not sleep well that night. She could not stop asking herself those questions. Part of her knew that she was just making rushed conclusions, but other part was telling her otherwise. She was confused. Why was she feeling that way? Why did she care? Why was she feeling left out? This did not make any sense. She was not jealous. She could not be. No. She should just forget about this. Big deal. Her father and her sister were awake in the middle of the night. It was nothing.

It was morning now. Nandini woke up happily, thinking that Simran probably was sleeping in her bed right now. But her twin was not there. Didn't she came here at all? Was she up all night? No. Nonsense. Nandini was doing it again. Her imagination was getting the best of her. She just needed some distraction. Breakfast would be a good idea.

She went to the kitchen, where she saw that Ms. Priti has already cooked breakfast-Beavertails:

-"This is new."-Nandini said in a charismatic tone.-"You sure love to experiment, Ms. Priti.

-"Thank you, Ms. Ootori! And yes, I do. I find something new every single day in the cook book with recipes from all over the world or just on the Internet. This one is of Canadian origin. And no, it is not made of beaver meat if that's what you think.- Ms. Priti teased.

-"No."-Nandini chuckled.-"I was not, but good to know."

Nandini started eating, while Ms. Priti was washing up the plates. The girl was wondering if she should ask the maid about her twin sister:

-"Ms. Priti?"

-"Yes."-the maid responded politely.

-"Is there any chance that you know where Simran might be?"

-"Simran? Well..."- the maid gave herself a little time to think before answering.-"No. I don't. After waking up, I immediately came here to prepare breakfast for the Ootori family. I did not came across neither your sister, nor your father. I am sorry!"

Although slightly disappointed, Nandini was not mad. She could not blame the maid at all:

-"Okay! Even though, thank you!"

-"You are welcome, Miss!"- Ms. Priti gave Nandini a bow, before continuing with work.

While washing up, Priti noticed that something was off about Nandini, but what? Yesterday everything was okay. Simran and Nandini were together like always. Why are they not together now? Did something happen? Was that the reason why the young lady was upset? Priti wanted to do something to make her feel better. Maybe she should start with small talk:

-"So, young Miss..."-it seemed that she attracted Nandini's attention-"The Ootoris' first family vacation, right?"

-"Yes"-Nandini's answer was very quiet and in an unamused tone, but not rude.

-"And to Greece, of all places. You are definetely going to see some new things. Which you can add to your game of Trivia empire."

-"Well, yeah. That's a good idea."-the black-haired girl responded, this time with a little bit more enthusiasm.

-"Speaking of vacations, do you wanna hear a joke?"

-"Yes. Why not."

-"Okay. Listen!"-Ms. Priti stopped working and faced the child-"A tour guide is counting the tourists in a bus. She asks "Is anyone missing?" and they all say "No." all at once. She tells the driver that they can go now. While driving, they see a woman running towards the bus and waving. The guide asks one of the tourists "Is that your wife? You didn't you say that she was missing?" and he says "Because I don't miss her."

The maid's joke caused Nandini to laugh:

-"That was a good one, Ms. Priti."

-"Thank you, Miss!"

-"Okay, now it's my turn. Listen to this!"

After the conversation with the maid, Nandini was feeling a little bit better now, but something was still missing. "Uff, we are leaving soon", she thought. "What is the point of these unnecessary "conspiracies". This is immature. I should just forget about all of this. This is the right thing to do. We are all going to have a lot of fun in Greece. We will."

Meanwhile, Kyoya was helping Simran with the luggage in the girls' bedroom. Suddenly, Nandini entered the room and saw them packing. This caught Kyoya and Simran' s attention:

-"Ah! Hello, Nandini!"-Kyoya greeted her politely.-"Could you, please come here to pack? We will be staying in Greece for a week, so we need to take a lot of things."

-"Yes, of course."- Nandini responded casually and she joined in the packing.

Sunday, 5:30 AM. The Ootoris were at the airport, preparing to get on the plane, which will take them to Greece. Everything went fine. They got on the plane with no problems. The flight was going pretty well. Without stress or headaches. After almost 14 hours of flight, they finally arrived at their destination. The arrived to the hotel. They checked-in and went to their apartment. The interesting thing was that all the employees in the hotel knew who Kyoya was. Not because of his social status, but because the hotel belonged to the same chain he owned.

Back in their apartment, Kyoya and his daughter were unpacking. Kyoya interrupted to silence:

-"Remember, girls! Dinner is at 8 PM. The restaurant is a la carte, so you are you have to order."

-"Okay, father!"-Simran said, while Nandini was looking at the sea. Their apartment had an amazing view towards the sea. She could hear the waves from there.

The Ootoris finally got out of the apartment and went to the restaurant for dinner. While walking, Kyoya noticed something peculiar. Something about one of the guest. He saw him for only half a second, but he looked very familiar. Kyoya ignored it, and just kept walking, until he and his daughters finally reached the restaurant. He opened the door and hand gestured to his daughters to enter first.

They picked a table and sat. The waiter came to give them menus. After looking at the food the restaurant was offering, the father asked:

-"Have you decided already, girls?"

-"Actually, yes!"-Simran spoke first-"I want tzatziki and a pastitsio."

-"Nandini?"- his attention turned to his other daughter.

-"Tabbouleh and mousakka."- she said quietly.

-"Okay. I want a Greek salad and a Fasolada."

After the waiter took their orders, they sat on the table, waiting for their meals. Kyoya came up with an idea for a conversation and asked:

-"So, how would you like us to spend the holiday? Wehre would you like to go? Meteora, Thessaloniki, or somewhere else?"

-"I don't know."- Simran responded.

-"Nandini?"

-"I don't know either."

-"Okay, do you want to discuss it tomorrow?"

-"Yes."

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

**I am so sorry for the waiting, but:**

 **Writing is hard. I am doing my best to write a good story. I am not sure if I manage to do it.**

 **I had a few school projects I had to work on. I had to focus on them first, before continuing to write**.

A trip of emotions-part 3

That evening, while the girls were already fallen asleep, Kyoya himself could not sleep at all. His head was so much filled with thoughts, that he could not take a break even for a moment. Yet, he did not want to think about that so much. Did he really saw...? Was that man really...? No, no way. Although, even if it really was him, what should Kyoya do?

Well, first he needed to stop worrying. Even if that man was his father, what could he do to make him feel inferior or incapable of doing anything? Kyoya now had everything he has worked for- career, home, reputation, family. Nothing was missing. Besides, who said that something like this was never about to happen. Sooner or later, Yoshio was going to appear in Kyoya's life again. It was inevitable, since they are a "family".

"I am just being childish" Kyoya thought. "Everything is going to be okay. I just need to come up with ways to deal with such situations."

After, at least an hour and a half of thinking, Kyoya finally relaxed and tried falling asleep.

7 AM. Nandini woke up, only to see her father and her sister still asleep. Again. These two were always hard to wake up. Kind of like two peas in a pod. And yet, they are family, so she just has to accept it.

Not wanting to think how to wake them up in time for breakfast, she just went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she was done, she changed and brushed her spiky hair.

It was 7:15 already, but Kyoya was still sleeping, while Simran seemed to be finally waking up. This, of course, never escaped from Nandini's attention:

-"Good morning! What? Don't you wanna sleep some more?"- she said sarcastically

-"Shut up."-Simran mumbled.

The half-asleep girl went to the bathroom, to wash her face and brush her teeth. Nandini was sitting on her bed and staring at her phone, while waiting. Simran returned to the bedroom and started changing. Bored, Nandini started a "small talk":

-"So, did you sleep well last night?"

-"Yeah, I guess so. I had this crazy dream that a big stone statue of a general is attacking us, but someone was there to save us."

The girls were not talking too loudly, but their voices still managed to wake Kyoya up. Despite being awoken by them, he was not mad.

After all three of them were finally ready, they went to the restaurant for breakfast. Deep down, Kyoya was hoping not to see the figure from his midnight inner discussions today.

Back in Japan, Ms. Priti was looking after the mansion all by herself. Of course, since there was nobody to clean after, it was not that hard. Not that she was envious of the Ootori family, but she was wondering about how much were enjoying their holiday. They were in Greece, after all. A land of beauty and culture.

Suddenly, somebody rang on the door. It was Tamaki.

"Finally, a visitor whom I don't wish to kill.", she thought. She liked Tamaki, but she had no idea how he and her boss could be friends. They were so different. One is talkative, friendly and extroverted, while the other was calm, reserved and secretive. They were total opposites even in their appearances.

-"Hello, Ms. Priti!"- the guest said with a bow.

-"Hello to you too, Mr. Suoh."- the maid bowed back in response.-"I am sorry, but Mr. Ootori is not here now. He is in Greece with his daughters."

-"I know. He told me. That's not why I'm here."

-"Why are you here then, if I may ask, sir?"

-"A special surprise for Kyoya and the girls for when they return."

-"Really?"

-"Yes, here is what we'll do."

Meanwhile in Greece, everything seemed normal. Kyoya and the twins did not run into any problems all day, with one minor exception. Something was wrong with Nandini-she did not say a word throughout the day. Something was definitely bothering her, because she was not the shy type.

During dinner, when Simran went to the restroom, he tried asking her what was wrong:

-"Nandini, is everything okay?"- his question seemed to have caught Nandini off guard:

-"Well, yeah. I'm fine."-she answered sheepishly.

-"You can always tell me if something is bothering you. You know that, right?"

-"I am fine, I'm just...not in a mood for anything."

Suddenly, another voice called:

-"Excuse me, Mr. Ootori..."

Kyoya turned around to see that a young waiter was requiring his attention.

-"Sorry to disturb you, sir..."-he continued-"but could you please say something on the microphone. It is a Japanese-themed evening tonight, and it would be an honor if the owner gives a speech. Just a few words, please."

Kyoya sighed. It was an annoying duty, but he had to do it. It is part of the job:

-"Okay. I will."-he turned to the twins, before going to the stage.-"Wait here, girls."

He went to the stage, grabbed the microphone and started speaking in a polite tone, putting the most charming smile he had on his face:

-"Good evening, ladies and gentleman! Thank you for being here with us tonight! I am Kyoya Ootori, the owner of this entire holiday club, including this marvelous hotel. It means an awful lot to us that you trust our staff to make sure you have a great time during your vacations."

His eyes shifted from one person to another, until he noticed something. Everyone's attention was on him. Everyone, including the last person he wanted to see-Yoshio Ootori, his father. When Kyoya saw that this specific man was part of the audience, for the first time in his life, he felt no fear.

He was tired of empty attempts to impress his father. His marriage to Ren was the last one. After that, Kyoya finally made the decision to give up and started coming up with his own ways for success.

He came up with his own goals and he was going to do whatever it took to succeed, which is what he did.

He was an adult man now, who had career, money, reputation, and last, but not least, two incredible children.

During his son's entire speech, Yoshio never changed his serious expression. It was like he was silently judging him. After Kyoya's speech was over, Yoshio approached him. The two men were finally face to face:

-"So this is what you do for a living now. I expected more. Why am I not surprised?"

-"Is this why you came here?"-Kyoya answered.-"To share your opinion, which I am already aware of?"

-"I wanted to see what you have made out of yourself. I thought that maybe you have finally found your mind after all these years. That you were over that...that...waste of time of a club you were running with Suoh's son. You cannot imagine my disappointment when I saw that the job you have chosen is not that different."

Kyoya was not even slightly surprised to hear all of that, but it still hurt. He never thought of neither the host club, nor his holiday club as a "waste of time", but to hear his father say that was still nothing good to hear. Apparantly. his wounds were still fresh from 11 years ago. But he was not going to allow this to get under his skin. Not here, and especially not now, so he just passed Yoshio and returned to his table. His daughters were still there, waiting for their father.

Yoshio followed Kyoya with his eyes, in order to see him with the twins. He has never seen his granddaughters before, so now was the first time. He wondered what kind of people were they? Maybe they could make proper heirs?

-"I liked your speech, father."-Simran was the first to congratulate her father.

-"Thank you, Simran!"-and he smiled.

The three did not notice the man, who approached the table. Yoshio wanted to see the twins from up close.

-"Are those your children, Kyoya?"

Kyoya frowned and gave him a pathetic "yes."

-"What are your names, young ladies?"- he asked the girls in a very strict tone and with a stoic expression.

-"Simran.."-Simran answered in a very worried manner.

-"...and Nanidni"- Nandini was no different.

-"Simran and Nandini? Those are the names you have chosen for your daughters?"- he asked his son, in a disappointed tone.

Kyoya did not answer. He just wanted Yoshio to go away:

-"Enough of this! Just leave us alone, please!"


	15. Chapter 15

**So sorry for the waiting!**

* * *

chapter 15: "Grandfather" Yoshio

Kyoya was growing more frustrated with every minute Yoshio refused to leave. In fact, why was he here now? For the first time in 11 years, Yoshio was showing some sort of an interest in his own granddaughters, and by extension, his youngest son, after not speaking to him for these 11 years.

After not very long, Yoshio finally asked his son:

-"Why did you not follow the family business, Kyoya?"- Even after all these years, he could not understand why his son did not want to work in the Ootori group, but instead, he has established a holiday club of his own. A holiday club?

How was establishing a holiday club any helpful, in order for Kyoya to redeem himself. Like it was not enough how embarassed Yoshio was when he found out that his youngest son is a member of a host club.

Yoshio has came up with a plan for the futures of each of his four children. His eldest son Yuuichi will become the next family patriarch, his second son Akito has joined the family business after finishing Medical School, and his daughter and third child Fuyumi is married to a man from the Shido family. But Kyoya, he was different.

Ever since meeting Yuzuru Suoh's son, Kyoya slightly changed. Yoshio never expected his son to become so...rebellious. After the host club surprise, Yoshio thought that perhaps, Kyoya learned his lesson, when he agreed to marry Shen's daughter.

But alas, it seemed that was not the case, after he found out that Ren and Kyoya have ended their marriage, after living together for only 3 years. That did not necessarily meant that absolutely nothing have came out of this marriage, since Ren managed to give a birth to twins. He was looking at these twins right now. They were 11 now, but the question was what kind of potential did they possess.

From the way the elderly man was looking at his granddaughters, one could say that the answer was "maybe not much". There was a mixture of dissapointment and even disgust in his eyes. He did not seem to approve of the way they looked, especially Nandini with her black boots, blue jeans, purple shirt, spikey shoulder-length hair with red bangs. The girl just oozed sassiness. Her sister, though, was slightly better. Simran had a more classy appeal to her appearance with her longer braided black hair, tied with white bows and decorated with white pearls, white ankle-length boots and white long-sleeved turtleneck dress. She almost looked like a proper lady, but was she such in personality traits? Yoshio also noticed how similar the girls looked to their father, and surprisingly, to their aunt Fuyumi. With the exception of Nandini's red bangs, the girls did not look much alike their mother. Was that a bad thing?

-"So,"-Yoshio changed the direction of his attention to the twins-"Simran and Nandini, right?"- The girls did not seem to answer him, at least not loud enough. They only barely moved their lips. Each of them was looking at him differently.

In a way, Simran wanted to know more about her grandfather. Enough to see what her father has been through growing up. Nandini looked like she was taking the elderly man's presence as a threat.

-"Tell me, girls!"- Yoshio kept talking-"What are your plans for the future?"

-"Plans for the future?"- both girls replied at the same time.

-"Yes. Could you tell me?"

-"Well..."-Simran looked very unsure, while trying to come up with an answer. In fact, she never thought about it.-"I do no know. I have always been more focused on school, that I never thought about after that. Besides..."- she never finished that sentence. She was too shy to admit anything. Yoshio was making her feel very anxious. He has such an intimidting vibe, that Simran was worried about making even the simplest mistakes.

-"Really?"- Yoshio responded sarcastically and changed the direction of his attention to Nandini.- "How about you, young lady?"

Nandini did not answer immediately. Instead, she kept looking at Yoshio with an expression that oozed suspicion and protectiveness. This never escaped the man's eyes- he did not appreciate the way she was looking at him:

-"I asked you something."-he said, this time with a more demanding voice.

-"I don't know."-Nandini finally answered, but her tone sounded somewhat angry.

This girl was just getting more irritating to Yoshio. The twins were definitely not making a good first impression- one is too shy and lacks confidence, while the other has too much confidence.

While his father was silently judging his daughters, Kyoya was getting angrier. The worst case scenario was that his father was looking for someone to "replace" him, to make up for the disappointments from 11 years ago.

Ever since he was a child himself, Kyoya has been obeying his father without any hesitation and trying to please him. No matter what he did, it never seemed enough for Yoshio. Kyoya always blamed himself- he thought that maybe he was not good enough or that he should put much more effort into what he was doing, like the day when he met Tamaki for the first time.

Even back then Tamaki was as loud and upbeat as a jazz music concert. So much that it made Kyoya wonder why in the world would his father want them to become friends. He excused his old man's behaviour by thinking that all the obstacles he put him through were just tests, to see how his son would handle different situations. He kept thinking like that for years. Everything changed after he married Ren.

Since their fathers were seeking business partnership, Kyoya agreed to marry Mr. Shen's daughter as a manner of union between the two sides, despite believing that his bride had hidden motives. However, even with those doubts, he had to do whatever it took for the sake of success. The marriage iself produced no surprises, except for one-two daughters, but it also gave Kyoya one more thing- it made him realise something. It made him realise that pleasing his father is not worth it. His father was never there for him, not even when Ren left him. What is the point of trying to please someone who will never see something good in you? Some one like that could never be pleased, no matter how hard you try. It took Kyoya years to finally understand that, and he would not let Yoshio cause the same toxicity to his children. It is about time to finally put a foot down.

-"Father!"-Kyoya spoke, sounding very annoyed.-"Leave the girls alone!"

-"I was just checking what kind of potential they had!"- Yoshio replied, as coldly as always.

-"They are 11. We are on a vacation. It does not matter now. But you are bothering us, so I am going to ask you to leave."-Kyoya gestured with his hand.

-"Actually Kyoya, you did not answer one of my previous questions. Why did you not follow the family business?"

-"I myself made the decision. It is only natural for someone to do what they know they can do."

Suddenly, Yoshio's expression changed, although slightly. He frowned and wrinkled his nose, like he was dissatisfied, and he spoke:

-"You are just the same as before. Always performing those "experiments" of yours."- he put a little emphasis on "experiments".-You have chosen the "easy" by not working hard for something of greater value."- his fists started shaking.

This did not go unnoticed by Kyoya, as he stood up from the chair he was sitting on and faced Yoshio. He was not going to give his father the same pleasure of humiliating him and putting him closer to the ground as that time at the ball back in high school, when his father slapped him in front of everyone and called him an "embarassment to the Ootori name":

-"Leave, please!"-Kyoya said again, with complete confidence.

-"He said "leave"."-another voice spoke and it was Nandini's.

This surprised both Yoshio and Kyoya. Yoshio looked at Nandini very angrily:

-"What did you just say?"

-"This "conversation" is going nowhere. Why bother to keep going?"- the girl sounded somewhat annoyed.

-"You better be careful who you are talking back to, young lady."

-"I think you are in no position to discipline me."

After she said that, Yoshio raised his hand. Right before his hand reached Nandini's face, someone else's hand grabbed his. It was Kyoya.

This caught both Yoshio and the twins, whom they all looked at Kyoya and saw his angry face:

-"Don't you even lay a single finger on her!"-Kyoya said in an almost growl-like voice, while holding tightly his father's wrist. When Yoshio raised his other hand, Kyoya grabbed that one as well.

-"What do you think you are doing?"-Yoshio asked in the same "growl" as Kyoya.

Kyoya did not give a verbal answer immediately. He kept holding his father's wrists for a few more seconds, before finally releasing them. Although finally released, Yoshio did not hit his son, instead he just looked at him with disappointment, without saying a word:

-"My daughters have already been through enough, especially Simran."-Kyoya finally spoke and his statement did not escape from Nandini's ears.-"Their mother hurt them and I am not going to let anyone else hurt them. Not even you."

-"You are a fool!"-Yoshio said quickly, but his son did not reply.

Instead, he just turned his back on him and called the twins:

-"Girls! Let's go!"

They obeyed him, as they stood up from their chair and followed him. All three of them left the restaurant.


	16. Chapter 16

chapter 16: I screwed up

That evening, the girls remained quiet. Kyoya was also not in a mood, so all three of them just went to bed.

The next day, they were already on the plane back to Japan. The girls were still as quiet as last evening, with Nandini avoiding even eye contact with her father. This never unnoticed by him however. He was wondering what had he done for her to act that way.

Was she still getting over the stress from meeting her grandfather? Not that he could blame her- she was still a child, after all. Almost being hit by a family member can have a very negative effect on a child. Nandini has never being mistreated in any way, let alone being hit, unlike Simran, who has recently experienced bullying. Nandini has never had a problem with making friends at school and she has a friendly relationship with her sister and Ms. Priti. Despite this, she was abandoned by her mother at the age of 3 and has been living with a single father ever since. A father who was not always there.

The more Kyoya thought about it, the more things he started to realise. He remembered the things he told his father during their confrontation-how he said that his daughters have already been through too much... _especially Simran_.

That exact memory was the moment that hit Kyoya. He realised how this could have sounded to Nandini. The shock that took over him. From personal experience, he knew how hard it is to feel like something that is not enough for your parents. This was how he has made Nandini feel.

After he became a parent, Kyoya swore that he would never repeat his own father's mistakes by making his children feel like love must be earned. Favoritism is one of those ways- that act of treating one of the children better than the other for entirely selfish and petty reasons. Making his daughters feel like this was Kyoya's biggest nightmare as a parent. "I did it again." he thought.

When the family arrived back in their house, an unexpected surprise welcomed them. Tamaki, Haruhi, Ms. Priti and all the other former members of the host club greeted them:

-"Welcome back home!"- they all shouted at once.

Kyoya was definetely surprised by this, and so were the girls.

-"Isn't it great, Kyoya?"- Tamaki came closer and gave his friend a big hug.-"While you guys were gone, we prepared a pleasant surprise for you. Look!"- he gestured towards the Hitachiin twins, Honey and Mori-"The entire host club is all back together."

They all looked different now. Hikaru and Kaoru were taller and were wearing expensive black suits. Mori has changed the least- the biggest difference was his outfit (he was also wearing a suit). The one who changed the most was Honey- he was taller, with a more mature face, and a suit to match his age (however he still had a pink bunny-shaped badge attached to his jacket). All four of them looked very mature, and yet reserved enough, with their faces having kept much of their features from their teenage years.

-"Ooh, how are these lovely little ladies?"-the girls caught Honey's attention.

-"These are Simran and Nandini."-Ms. Priti replied, instead of Kyoya, as he still was not able to talk from the surprise.-"Mr. Ootori's twin daughters."

-"Twins, eh?"-the word caught Hikaru and Kaoru's attention this time, as they got closer to the girls.-"Good to see another ones of our own."

The girls both gave Hikaru and Kaoru modest, but friendly smiles, like they were silently saying "Hello!" Mori was the last one who came to greet the girls face-to-face. He did not say anything, but he slowly caressed their heads with each of his hands, and they seemed to appreciate it.

The entire gang started to question the girls, aksing them things such as "How are you?" and "How old are you?". The sisters quickly joined the introduction and answered each othe question without any problems.

While everyone was talking, Haruhi noticed that Kyoya has went somewhere else, without anyone noticing. She turned to the maid:

-"Ms. Priti, where is Kyoya?"

-"I do not know. I did not see where he went. You can check his office."

Haruhi accepted Priti's advice and looked for Kyoya in his office. Luckily, she found him there. She knocked and slowly entered. After she was now in the office, she saw Kyoya standing against the window and looking through it:

-"Something's wrong, Haruhi?"- he asked with his usual monotone voice. Haruhi was surprised that he knew who entered the room, without looking. The again, he probably saw her reflection in the window.

-"Why are you not with us, fellow?"- she asked him.-"Everyone has prepared the party specifically for you and your daughters."

-"You do not need to worry about me. You can go and join the others."-there was no indication in Kyoya's voice telling that he was upset, but Haruhi just knew that something was not right.

-"Has something happened in Greece?"

Another knock was heard- this time it was the maid. Just like Haruhi, she was also wondering where has Kyoya went and went to the office to look for him. She slowly opened the door and saw Haruhi talking to Kyoya:

-"Oh, I am so sorry! I was just wondering where were you, sir!"

Kyoya looked at both women with a pleasant smile and said:

-"Ladies, like I said, you do not need to worry about me! I just need some time alone, okay? Just go and enjoy yourselves."

Despite saying otherwise, Haruhi and Priti both knew that he was upset about something. But they decided that right now was not the moment, so they left the room. After Haruhi left the office, Priti stayed for one more second. She looked at her boss, who was still looking outside through the window, before she finally left. She was worried about him.

The gang and the girls were having a great time getting to know each other. Hikaru and Kaoru taught Simran and Nandini a few "twin tricks", such as giving them the idea to make their own version of the "Who is Hikaru?" game. When the party was finally over, everybody started preparing to go home.

-"Thank you for bearing with us, Ms. Priti!"-Haruhi told the maid.

-"You are always welcome here, Mr. and Mrs. Suoh!"-Priti smiled and bowed-"It is always a pleasure for Mr. Ootori's friends to visit us."

-"We are all so glad to see that our Kyoya has such a nice friend in the form of his maid."-Tamaki smiled at Priti. He took her hands and shook them as another way to show her his gratitude. His words made Priti blush- she was surprised that Tamaki thought of her as Kyoya's friend, but still flattered.

After a few more farewells, Tamaki and Haruhi left and headed back home. While walking, Haruhi's mind was obviously somewhere else. This did not go unnoticed by Tamaki, as he asked her:

-"Haruhi, is something bothering you?"

Haruhi was slightly surprised by his sudden question, but she still replied:

-"Oh, I was just thinking about something."

-"Is it about Ms. Priti? I thought that she seems nice."

-"No, not her."-Haruhi knew that there was no point in keeping secrets from Tamaki. They were married, after all.-"It is about Kyoya. I think that something is bothering him, and it is not just his ex-wife. After we shouted "Surprise!", he just left. He went to his office and skipped the entire party. I always knew he was not a party type, but he always stays for, at least, a while."

Tamaki had no idea what he was supposed to tell his wife. He was worried as well, but he and Kyoya have known each other for years. He has always known him as the quiet, yet skilled man.


	17. Chapter 17

**So sorry for the waiting, but as you can definetely guess, due to the crisis, I had a lot of homework to do, and I needed to focus on that first. I hope you understand. I apologize again.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

chapter 17: Intriguing notions

Tamaki remained silent, as he did not know what he was supposed to tel Haruhi. He wanted to help as well, but what would be the best solution.

Back when they were teenagers, Tamaki was trying to do anything so that Kyoya can feel comfortable. He was never mad at his friend, when the latter teased the former, because he knew that Kyoya lacked the luxury of expressing himself in front of his family, and the teasing was simply his way of letting his hair down. Kyoya was just not the extroverted type.

-"I think..."-Tamaki finally spoke, rather sheepishly.-"..that now is not the time for this-it is getting late. Maybe we can go home for now and think about this tomorrow. Someone has to make sure the children will go to bed, after all."

-"Wow, you have a point."- Haruhi said, replied in a slightly sarcastic tone.

-"We will find a way to help Kyoya. I promise. In fact, next morning we are coming back here."

Haruhi smiled and the two went home. Right now, she was so glad to have Tamaki for a husband- a man who always thinks what is best for everyone."

Back at the Ootori mansion, Kyoya isolated himself in his office. He needed to spend some time alone. He has had moments of helplessness before, but this time was the most painful.

Kyoya never knew how hard parenthood can be, until he became a parent himself. His own parents were not the best example, and yet, thanks to the way they raised him, he knew what not to do, although that was still not enough.

It is not that he has forgotten to prepare himself, though. While Ren was still pregnant with the twins, Kyoya made a little research about parenthood- reading every book and article on the Internet he could find about the subject. Even with his busy schedule, he tried to be there for his babies.

When children get closer to puberty, things start to get much more complicated. Now being there physically is not enough-he has to support them emotionally. Not every parent is capable of doing that, and emotional intelligence has always been one of the few things he did not understand completely, despite showing occasional interest in it.

Usually, he preferred to deal with a problem on his own, but this time he was probably going to require the help of someone else. In this case, Haruhi and Tamaki.

Next morning, Haruhi and Tamaki were on their way to the Ootori mansion. Once they reached their destination, they knocked on the door and waited for the maid to open it:

-"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Suoh!"- the maid greeted them, after opening the door, and bowed.

-"Good morning, Ms. Priti! Is Kyoya here?"- Haruhi asked politely.

-"Well, yes, of course. Coincidentally, I was just going to call you as he ordered me to do, this morning."

Her response surprised both Haruhi and Tamaki.

-"He wanted you to call us? Why?"- Tamaki asked, out of curiosity.

-"I do not know either. He did not tell me. It must be something that he trusts you for."- Priti replied, sounding more confused than disappointed.-"I will inform him that you have arrived. Please wait."- after she bowed, she went to her boss' office.

-"Did you hear that-Kyoya wants to see us?"-Haruhi aksed her husband.-"What could it be?"

-"I don't know."- he said simply.

Their attention was quickly distracted by Kyoya's arrival:

-"Tamaki. Haruhi. Welcome!"

-"Fellow Kyoya, we heard you wanted to see us. What is the matter?"-Haruhi asked.

-"Whatever it is, we will..."-Tamaki suddenly raised his voice while talking, but he stopped after Kyoya politely gestured him to.

-"Just come with me to my office. I will tell you there."- he turned his back and led them to his office. He suddenly stopped walking, right next to the maid and asked-"Could you bring us some tea, Ms. Priti?"

-"Of course, sir!"-and she bowed.

After the three reached the office door, Kyoya opened it and gestured the guests to enter:

-"Take a seat!"- he gestured to two chairs. Haruhi and Tamaki both sat on them and prepared themselves to listen.

-"I know you wonder why I require you help now."-Kyoya said after he sat on his own chair. They both nodded.-"Usually, I do not do this, but I need some advice about parenting."

This caught the couple off guard. They could hardly believe what they were hearing:

-"WHAT?!"-Tamaki shouted.

-"Advice about parenting?"-Haruhi was more reserved.

Kyoya could not blame them for reacting this way. Even he himself could hardly believe what he was saying:

-"Let me explain, please!"- and he stood up from his chair. He turned his back and looked through the window.-"Throughout my life I have always had the answer to my own questions- always knew what was the right thing to do. Being an Ootori meant I had to be this well-prepared- you never know who to trust. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." father always said. I never let anyone get too close to me, no matter the intentions. This changed when I met you, Tamaki. Besides my sister Fuyumi, you were the first one in front of whom I did not feel the need to pretend. You gave me a chance I never knew I wanted. Being a host with you, Haruhi and the others inspired me to become what I am today."

Tamaki felt touched by Kyoya's words, which caused him to cry:

-"Oh, Kyoya!"

-"Please don't start crying."-Kyoya said in a deadpan tone.

-"I won't."-Tamaki tried to hold his tears. His friend could hardly believe it- how can an adult man still be so emotional, yet again this was the reason he called them today. Ironic.

-"However, there are still a lot of things even I fail to understand- I am not good at expressing myself properly."

-"What an intriguing notion, fellow.-Haruhi said in a semi-mocking tone.

-"Back to the subject! Recently I did something that hurt Nandini's feelings and made her feel like the "unfavorite". My question to you is: How can I fix that?. What can I say to make her feel better?"

Tamaki and Haruhi exchanged looks between each other, like they were saying "So that's what this is all about". They did not answer him immediately- needing some time to think. Kyoya did not mind waiting, he gave them their time.

After the long pause, Haruhi finally decided what to say:

-"Well, Kyoya..."- she began hesitantly.-"I think that the first thing you need to realise is that family is family".- Her words confused the man a little bit, but, fortunately for him, she explained what she meant.-"I mean, you have always been a smart man, capable of seeing details only a few can see. Although, you have always had a flaw-thinking too much. I remember back in high school, when you were doing big efforts to seem selfish and exploitative, despite actually being a very nice guy deep down, and I had no idea why."

Haruhi has seemingly done talking, so Tamaki finished for her:

-"Kyoya, being a parent is not a job, it's a chance. A chance to experience something you have never experienced before- to finally be free of your duties to society. To be yourself for someone who needs you. To give someone all the love you are capable of. What is better than that?"

-"In other words, if you want your daughters to know how much you love them, than what is stopping you from telling them."

Kyoya did not say anything, but just seeing his expression, the couple knew that he was shocked by what he was hearing.

Finally, he found courage to talk:

-"It is not as easy as you make it out to be."

-"You can, at least try."-Haruhi encouraged him.-"Those are your children, after all."- she and Tamaki both smiled, and Kyoya returned the smile.

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. The door opened slowly and the trio saw Priti bringing them some tea.

Tamaki and Haruhi were currently preparing to leave, and Kyoya suggested to escort them:

-"It was a great pleasure seeing you again, Kyoya."-Tamaki said with a charming smile.

-"I sincerely hope everything is going to be okay."-Haruhi added.

The couple left, leaving Kyoya to consider their advice. He remained at the same spot, not moving or talking, seemingly just thinking. This did not go unnoticed by the maid:

-"Is everything alright, Mr. Ootori, sir? You need anything?"

-"Actually, yes."- he turned to face her.-"Wish me luck, Ms. Priti!"


End file.
